


Stress Relief

by jbeeean51



Category: Law & Order
Genre: F/F, Flirting, Foreplay, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:26:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26631343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jbeeean51/pseuds/jbeeean51
Summary: Abbie Carmichael and Toni Ricci bump into each other for the first time in years. Law & Order one-shot.
Relationships: Abbie Carmichael/Toni Ricci
Kudos: 3





	Stress Relief

**Author's Note:**

> NO mention of the events of "Refuge." NO character death. Very light-hearted, NO angst. Some light description of mature sexual themes.
> 
> My first post on AO3! :)

In her study, Toni Ricci closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. These Russian texts tended to get denser and denser the later it got. Shifting her hand to her forehead, she sighed and glanced at the clock on her desk. Half past 2 AM. Her gaze shifted to the bookshelf across from her, to the clock, to the liquor cabinet, back to the clock… She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the constant buzz of racing thoughts. She retired from her study, resigning herself to the fact that no matter how much she enjoyed her work, her night had to end here.

For Abbie Carmichael, however, the night did not give way to sleep. She lay awake in her bed, staring up at her ceiling. She closed her eyes and raised her hands to her head, brushing her fingers through her dark hair. Midway through, she balled up her fists, almost as if to yank it out. She didn’t know what exactly was keeping her awake, what was keeping her so…so agitated. She gritted her teeth as her eyes flew open. She sat up in bed abruptly, staring at the clock on her nightstand. Two-thirty in the morning—this was going to be a long night.

• • •

The next morning, Toni walked briskly out of a conference room in the Manhattan D.A.’s office, pleased with her presentation to the board. Glancing at her wristwatch, she allowed herself to relax a bit. She didn’t have much else to do. No court appearances, no presentations—just her and her documents. Piles and piles of papers and memorandums waiting to be translated, analyzed, you name it. Okay, so maybe there was more to do. But at the very least, she could get away with ditching her heels while sitting at her desk. She smiled to herself, tossing her auburn hair over her shoulder and proceeding down the hallway toward the elevator.

Abbie, at her office desk, rubbed her eyes and tried to refocus on the motion that sat open (and largely unfinished) on her screen. She was stressed; Jack was stressed; everyone and their mother was stressed. There is no time for taking breaks, she thought, but Lord help me, I just cannot get my mind right on this one. She huffed, standing up from her desk abruptly, and crossed her arms. She stalked over to her office door but stopped short. She sighed, looking over her shoulder at the computer almost guiltily. Fuck it. She threw open the door and headed for the stairs, her legs itching to move around a bit.

“Abbie? Abbie Carmichael?”

The familiar voice froze Abbie in her tracks. A smile crept across her lips as she turned slowly to see Toni in front of the elevator, eyes wide and glowing with excitement. Abbie’s grin only grew when her suspicions were confirmed. “Toni? Holy hell, it is you! I mean, how long has it been? Where did you come from? What are you doing here? How are you?” The questions came pouring out of her mouth faster than she could control.

“Where’s the fire, Abbie? I see you haven’t changed much!” Toni laughed as she regarded her old colleague. “I’ve been well; I actually just finished up a briefing with the joint committee. How’s working with Jack been treating you?”

Abbie rolled her eyes playfully. “He’s a stickler, I’ll tell you that much. But he’s a good man. I’d be lying if I said I missed narcotics.”

“Really? Was working with me all that bad?”

“No, god no. If anything, working with you helped me to stay longer than I should have.” Abbie felt her heart race as the words settled in the air. She thought she saw Toni’s cheeks redden ever so slightly.

“I’m glad to hear it!” Toni glanced down at her watch. Abbie followed her gaze, quickly realizing that she probably had somewhere to be. Her heart sank as quickly as it had leapt.

“I- uh, do you need to go? I’m sure you’ve been busy with rackets.”

Toni, after a moment of thought, tore her eyes from her watch and turned back to face Abbie. Smiling gently, she replied, “Actually, no. Sorry—force of habit. For once in my entire professional life, it seems that the rest of my day is actually free.” She emphasized the word free, raising her eyebrows and shaking jazz hands as if it were a fictional construct—which, to be fair, it was in her line of work. Abbie’s gaze softened and she reciprocated Toni’s smile. Toni bit her lip for a moment before continuing, “It’s, um…it’s been a while, you know. I’d love to have you over for a drink tonight, if you have the time.” Toni applauded herself mentally for keeping her composure as well as she did. Truth be told, she always had to work hard to maintain outward appearances of confidence and tranquility, but that was especially the case now. It had been almost three years since the two of them had worked a case together, but the dark-haired attorney before her had the same effect as she did back then.

“That sounds great to me! I could use a drink with an old friend.” Abbie beamed at Toni, who then returned the expression.

“Good! How’s seven at my place? You still have the address, right?”

“Perfect. And yeah, Upper East Side, isn’t it?”

“That’s the one.”

“Great! I’ll, uh, I’ll see you tonight, then.” Abbie inhaled sharply, trying to calm herself. Toni winked at her, seeing through her façade, and Abbie couldn’t help but smile. Abbie swore at herself, feeling her face heat up as she blushed.

They exchanged a quick goodbye, each afraid to betray their cool appearances. Toni closed her eyes after pressing the elevator call button and felt the corners of her lips tugging into a soft smile. Abbie closed the stairwell door behind her, leaning against it, and exhaled the breath she wasn’t aware she was holding. Get it together, Carmichael, she thought. Her thoughts were an incomprehensible mix of what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck and why am I shaking. “Well,” she muttered to herself, “this break was well-timed.” Clearing her throat, she started up the stairs.

• • •

The rest of the day was shot in terms of productivity for both Toni and Abbie. Neither woman, however determined to focus on her work, could get the other off her mind. Toni sat atop her kitchen counter, looking at the clock every other second and wishing the minutes would pass quicker. This time, to her dismay, it read 5:37—not even two minutes since her last glance. Toni sighed and shook her head, chuckling. Look at you, she thought. Like a schoolgirl fawning over some new crush. The analogy struck her, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise at herself. She considered herself to be a pretty emotionally available person, but even she was shocked from time to time with just how open she was. Her next thought: I need a distraction. She jumped down from her countertop perch and practically glided across her tile floor to her bathroom, setting a hot bath to run. She took her time undressing, letting her blouse fall to the floor unceremoniously and shrugging off her navy skirt. She reached around to unhook her bra and let that too fall where it may. In her panties, she rifled through her dresser drawers for a lighter; finding it, she returned to the bathroom, which was now filled with a warm haze of steam. She lit a couple candles at the foot of the bathtub—woodsy, piney scents—and stepped out of her underwear. Lowering herself gently into the water, she sighed contentedly and tried to clarify everything in her mind. She found herself thinking of Abbie.

Abbie Carmichael was, for all intents and purposes, one of the boys. She, never one to let her guard down, always had a cold, almost abrasive exterior, especially in front of her colleagues. She always said what she meant; no speaking in riddles, no playing games—she would tell you exactly what she thought without so much as flinching. Bluntness aside, no one ever saw an emotional Abbie Carmichael. That was private. Toni Ricci, on the other hand, was a much more subtle person. She saw things in many more shades of grey than did her old colleague. Each and every word was calculated, placed just right, and each utterance had its particular function in conveying the precise meaning she had constructed. At the same time, even with this intense attention to detail, Toni was quite trigger-happy when it came to emotional response. She was a bundle of energy and emotion, and often lead with her heart over her head. The pair had, during their stint at Special Narcotics together, developed an understanding of one another. Toni was the only person who had ever seen the vulnerable Abbie; Toni was the only person Abbie would ever allow that close. Frankly, by the end of it all, Abbie was almost incapable of hiding her emotions when around her. Accordingly, Abbie was this presence, both calming and invigorating, for Toni, simultaneously encouraging her both to rein in her emotions and to act more freely, to live a little more…

Toni’s hand slipped under the water. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, slowly stroking her thigh with her fingers. She shivered despite the warm water around her. She could see Abbie, plain as day, talking to her like they had been earlier in the D.A.’s office. “Live a little more,” Abbie whispered, leading her into her office. Toni walked in with Abbie following closely behind after pausing to close the door and pull the blinds to. Toni turned around to meet Abbie’s gaze, which descended from her eyes to her lips. In the bath, Toni’s hand crept closer to her clit. Abbie, still fixated on Toni’s lips, moved toward her slowly, coyly. Toni’s breath hitched as Abbie’s lips approached hers, moaning softly as they met. Abbie reached up to cup Toni’s face in one hand, pressing firmly into the kiss. Her other hand reached down, raking up Toni’s inner thigh. Toni’s hand found her clit, rubbing gently against it. She felt her eyelids flutter as the fantasy continued. Abbie pulled away from Toni’s lips, kissing her neck intermittently as her hand continued its path, now fully under Toni’s skirt. Her expert fingers grazed her clit, eliciting small gasps and pants from Toni. Abbie looked up at her, maintaining the movement, and her eyes, hooded with arousal, told Toni everything she needed to know. Abbie finally began a strong, intentional rhythm, stroking her clit over and over, each touch making Toni wetter. Toni’s hand now mimicked Abbie’s rhythm under the water, her body practically begging for release. Abbie kissed Toni again as she pushed two fingers slowly into her, drawing out another low moan. Toni pulled her hand out of the water, gripping the edge of the bathtub, and clapped her free hand over her mouth as she came, gasping and shuddering. She half-opened her eyes and reveled in the sensation for a moment before exhaling. So much for a distraction.

• • •

Abbie’s heart was racing, although she wasn’t going to give that information up. Nope. Not gonna happen. You’re gonna keep a clear head, Carmichael, she coached herself. You just haven’t seen her in years, that’s all. Just keep it cool. She lifted her chin up and rang the doorbell outside Toni’s flat. Abbie’s collected exterior faltered almost immediately as Toni opened the door. Toni had her hair down around her shoulders, wearing an off-white cable sweater over a light blue button-down, matched with caramel pants and…sock feet. Fuzzy, purple-and-white striped socks, to be specific. Abbie realized her gaze had been everywhere but Toni’s face, and quickly realigned to meet her eyes. “I, uh…hey.”

It was all Toni could do to keep her jaw from dropping. Abbie stood at her front door, wearing jeans, a maroon top, and a black leather jacket. Her dark hair was swept behind her ears, pulled back in a low ponytail, and she sported a light smokey eye look. To be honest, she fucking rocked the look. “Hi,” Toni finally managed to sputter out in response. “Please, come in!” She turned to allow Abbie to enter, closing the door behind her. “I’m glad you could make it,” Toni beamed to her colleague.

“I am too,” replied Abbie, taking off her boots and setting them down in the foyer. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day.” She offered a genuine, toothy smile as she took off her jacket, carefully folding it and placing it atop a small table by the door. “How has your day been?”

Toni’s face flushed as she tried to suppress the thought of her so-called distraction from earlier. She gestured toward the couch and sat down with Abbie. “Well,” she began, “I decided a break was in order, so I’ve been lazing around the house and getting ready for this. So overall, not bad!”

Abbie chuckled. “Good! To be blunt, I’m fucking jealous. I wish I could take that kind of break nowadays.”

You’re always blunt. Toni smiled inwardly. “How do you mean?”

“Work has been hell lately. Don’t get me wrong, I love it; but it has just been crazy busy. Everyone is down everyone else’s throat over this case.”

Toni frowned. “Damn, that sounds rough. But if there’s anyone who can handle it, I know it’s you.”

“Ha. I wish I felt that way too,” laughed Abbie. “I do appreciate that, though. I just wish I had some form of stress relief. Now that I’m not at university, my one outlet has kinda just…gone away. So long, track star legs.”

“Well, we can get started on that right now! Let’s fix us both up an outlet, hm?” Toni smiled brightly at Abbie, standing up from the couch and walking to the kitchen.

“That sounds perfect,” exclaimed Abbie, watching Toni take a bottle of white wine out of the fridge and pour two more-than-generous glasses. “You wouldn’t be trying to get me drunk, would you?”

Toni gawked at Abbie, feigning innocence. “Whaaat? I would never!” She winked at Abbie, returning to her seat and handing her a glass. Abbie held out her glass, clinking it against Toni’s, and they both took a sip. “I can see it, Abbie,” Toni said after a pause.

“See…what?” Abbie suddenly heard her pulse pounding in her ears.

“That you need to vent! Go on. Tell me what’s up.”

Abbie immediately relaxed, scolding herself mentally. “Oh, right. It’s just this case. We got the guy dead to rights; the 2-7 even set up a wiretap sting. But this jerk-off is with the rich in-crowd, so he’s got some bigwig defense attorney. The man has absolutely swamped us with more motions than I think I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Toni rolled her eyes. “God, I hate that. What kind of motions?”

“There’s too many to even have an accurate count,” exclaimed Abbie, gesturing emphatically with her hands (wine glass included). She raised the glass to her lips again before continuing. “Motions to dismiss, motions to exclude, motions to basically bend the prosecution over the table and fuck ‘em.” Abbie shook her head and furrowed her brow, taking a drink. The metaphor hung in the air for a moment. Toni licked her lips and drank more, emptying her glass. Abbie followed suit, realizing what she had just said. She glanced at Toni, who was eyeing the open bottle of Chardonnay on the counter. Toni caught her eye, and the two blushed (more than the alcohol had already reddened them) and looked away. Abbie’s heart raced, and Toni felt the tug she had felt earlier. Abbie let out a low whistle.

“What?” Toni regarded Abbie now, confusedly.

“You know me. I’m a blunt person. I say what I think.”

Toni paused. “Yeah, you’re the frankest woman I know,” she said with a gentle chuckle. “Why?”

Abbie’s expression grew sober. She lowered her eyes and came close to Toni, like a child about to tell her some big secret.

“That metaphor should not have been as hot as it was.” Abbie raised her eyes to meet Toni’s again, trying to stifle a laugh. Failing, she snorted, and the both of them cackled.

Toni asked through tears, between guffaws, “W-What, ha, is that like a dream f-for you—haha—or something?” She wiped her eyes dry, still chuckling.

Abbie sighed, coming down from the initial response. “Well, I mean…maybe if I was doing the fucking, it would be better!” This earned another round of laughter from the pair.

Toni smirked at Abbie, raising her eyebrows. “And why would that be?”

Abbie gestured to herself, her confidence mounting. “Who else in the D.A.’s office could do it this well?” She grinned as Toni shifted restlessly.

Toni’s eyes took Abbie in greedily at this point, despite her best efforts to hide it. Abbie’s face was flushed red, definitely thanks in part to the alcohol. Shifting her gaze down Abbie’s face, Toni stared first at her rosy cheeks, the sharp angles of her jawline, her neck. She could practically see Abbie’s pulse racing. Following the steep lines downward, Toni bit her tongue trying to keep her mouth closed. Abbie’s chest, tan and spattered with freckles, rose and fell quickly, betraying her confident appearances. Her top left her collarbones exposed, the neckline sweeping down gradually to allow the slightest bit of cleavage. It left much more to the imagination, which, arguably, was better. Toni licked her lips quickly, absentmindedly, gazing at Abbie’s chest, losing herself to wonder how Abbie’s warm skin would feel against hers, how she would writhe underneath her lips. Abbie herself, on the other hand, was too busy in her own world to realize that Toni had been staring at her. She had taken notice of Toni’s lips more so than her eyes, her attention unwavering as Toni’s lips parted slightly to allow her tongue to wet them lightly. Abbie stared, transfixed, at her mouth—but she was all too aware of the way Toni squirmed in her seat, the way she took a long, purposeful breath as if trying to regain her composure.

The women sat wordlessly for a bit, each lost in their own thoughts, before finally locking eyes again. Toni cleared her throat, blushing, and picked the empty wine glasses up from the coffee table and took them over to the sink. Abbie, biting her lip, sat on the couch for a few moments before standing up and joining her in the kitchen. She came up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Toni looked up from washing the glasses and was met with Abbie’s dark eyes boring into hers. Immediately taken back to her daydream, her breath hitched before she could suppress it. She watched with wide eyes as Abbie took the wine glass by its stem, gently, from her fingers, and set it down on the counter adjacent, then returning her gaze to its original position. Abbie’s hand, still on Toni’s shoulder, crept up to her chin. Toni, frozen, could only watch and anticipate. Abbie’s eyes flicked down to her lips, and she pulled her closer. For Toni, it felt like an eternity before her parted lips met Abbie’s. Abbie raised her free hand to the back of Toni’s head, running her fingers through her hair a bit before coming to rest. Toni murmured her agreement, pushing more forcefully against Abbie’s lips. The two drew back for a moment, noses touching, eyes half-closed, before grinning at each other breathlessly.

Abbie suddenly hoisted Toni up onto the countertop, following the abrupt movement with another kiss. Toni put her arms around Abbie’s shoulders, interlacing her fingers behind her neck and reveling in the moment. Abbie pushed forward, practically climbing onto the counter with her, and pressed her lips insistently, hungrily, against hers. Toni felt herself quivering and thanked God she was on the countertop, but the thought was cut short as Abbie replaced her lips once more. Toni brought her hands to either side of Abbie’s face, cupping her cheeks as the thrilling embrace continued. She felt that tug again, the same yearning that she felt earlier that day, and when it came to mind, she could do nothing to stop herself. She planted her lips against Abbie’s once more, breaking off only to replace them along the same descending line that had so captivated her attention just minutes before. Toni’s lips swept down Abbie’s jawline, hardly even willing to separate for a moment from the smooth skin beneath them. She flicked the tip of her tongue out, grazing along her skin from jaw to neck until she brought her lips to rest against the soft flesh, parted just enough to continue kissing while gently sucking. Abbie’s eyes fluttered as she craned her neck and moaned lowly, allowing Toni to do her work. Hearing Abbie, Toni tensed and squirmed, reaching for Abbie’s hips. She kissed her lips damn near breathlessly once more before tugging impatiently at the base of Abbie’s shirt. The two of them made quick work of the top, leaving Abbie in her white bra. Toni, having pulled away from the kiss to practically rip Abbie’s shirt off, looked longingly at her, panting lightly. Abbie’s petite breasts heaved as she tried in vain to catch her breath. Toni stole a glance, licking her lips, before smirking coyly and tilting her head in the direction of the bedroom. Abbie locked eyes with Toni, lifting her from the countertop. Toni wrapped her legs around Abbie’s waist, clinging to her and letting out a joyful laugh as Abbie whirled around, grinning, to carry her to the bed.

• • •

Abbie was organizing the files on her desk when she was interrupted by a knock at the door. Stretching as she stood, she smoothed out her blouse and called for the visitor to come in. Her spirit lifted when a familiar redhead poked her head in the doorway.

“Hey, you,” Toni said with a flick of her eyebrow, stepping into the office. Abbie rolled her eyes playfully, steadily approaching her.

“Hey yourself,” she replied before placing a soft peck on the top of Toni’s head. “How you been today?”

Toni smiled. “I’ve been pretty good. I don’t think there’s too much that could put a damper on my mood after all that stress relief.” Her eyes shone mischievously, taking pleasure in watching the visible shiver that passed over Abbie as she, too, remembered.

“You tease too much,” Abbie chuckled. “Lunch today? I’ve got a nice break coming my way in the next little while.”

“Sounds like a plan to me! Meet me in the stairwell in five.” Toni winked and turned on her heel, closing the door behind her.

Abbie bit her lip before shaking her head, closing her eyes. She opened them and smiled to herself, turning to grab her coat before heading out into the hallway toward the stairwell.


End file.
